On Tuesday, I received word of a very good opportunity for youth in Plainfield. The information is in the blog post, "SSYC Foundation Offers Youth Opportunity."
Coming the day after two appeals from groups at the City Council meeting, it couldn't have been more timely. Two groups asked the governing body for help in creating a community center, but here is word from an organization in a center that has been in existence since 1957. I believe there are many other established groups and organizations in the city that offer programs for young people and I wish there was a directory or even a list of them.
It is always commendable when new groups form and want to serve youth or other underserved populations. What I have never liked is the notion that unless such-and-such group is backed by the city, young people have no other choice but the street. It would be more helpful, while such groups are organizing and finding their own funding through grants and donations, to partner with existing groups to serve youth.
"These young ones, they want something from us," one speaker said Monday.
Perhaps while new groups are adding their energy to the mix, young people can explore what already exists in Plainfield. Sports leagues, church-based mentoring groups, Scouts, YMCA leadership training, Boys & Girls Club, sororities and fraternities and social organizations that promote passage to responsible adulthood - all these are here and more. My own favorite stop after school was the public library in my hometown.
The city provides youth employment every summer where teens can learn about the workings of government and some of our city and state officials got their start right in City Hall. Mayor Adrian O. Mapp is planning a youth summit and other ways to engage young people. Someone mentioned reviving the Youth Commission. There are actually two Youth Commissions on the books and neither has any current members. More on that topic later.
No amount of good will toward youth may save those bent on gang activity and gun violence. Some have chosen that bad path and will not be deterred. The majority, I believe, are hoping to grow up to become responsible adults, even if they have big challenges at present. They need to know where help exists in Plainfield now.
--Bernice
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Community Groups Seek City Help
Community concerns brought a crowd of mostly young people to Monday's City Council meeting, along with a reprise of pleas for revitalization of an East Second Street neighborhood.
The governing body had alloted time to hear from The CURE Group.Leader Terry O. Muhammad said the acronym stands for "Creating Universal Righteous Establishments." Naming a long list of backers, he asked the council to help the group launch a community center that would feature everything from etiquette lessons to substance abuse counseling.
"We would like to have a bowling alley," Muhammad said, and also asked for music studios and office space.
He envisioned a center surrounded by businesses where young people could be employed and free themselves from an environment of crime and violence.
"I hope the council would hear our plea," he said. "Our children are dying today."
Rev. Paul Dean, organizer of the East Second Street Revitalization group, questioned why it was taking so long for city officials to commit $1.2 million in Urban Enterprise Zone funds to a streetscape program that was announced in 2010. The group had asked last week for a resolution to be on Monday's agenda to convey the funds, but as was explained last week, the state UEZ funds that were turned back to the city are still being reconciled.
At the end of the meeting, Mayor Adrian O. Mapp pointed out some practicalities involved in meeting the groups' desires. Muhammad had asked about having his center in the Armory, but Mapp said it did not belong to the city. The HOPES Headstart program purchased the building from the state in 2012.
Mapp said the city has two "community centers" in Emerson and Washington schools that were built with community use in mind.
On the UEZ funding, Mapp said, "We don't know how much money we have," citing "mismanagement over the years." Mapp took office on Jan. 1, but as a councilman he had asked in 2012 for an accounting of funds and projects from the previous administration. His finance director, Ron West, is still sorting it out.
Mapp said the city only owns one building in the East Second Street Neighborhood Commercial District, and it is not the former market that Dean's group wants to acquire. He said the district really needs to have an "in need of redevelopment" study that is a first step in attracting developers.
"The city is not in the business of putting up buildings," he said.
Mapp said he will ask City Clerk Abubakar Jalloh to look up any legislation related to a billboard that Dean's group wants removed.
Among other items, Mapp said in a ride around the city he noticed how dark it is, and his administration will reach out to PSE&G to determine costs for more lights. He also announced a "shadow mentoring program" in which young people will be matched with city officials to learn more about how government works. He will also have a youth "mayor for a day" each month, he said.
Having come in for some gibes from council members Monday and at other recent meetings, Mapp said, "Stop tearing me down - let's work together."
--Bernice
The governing body had alloted time to hear from The CURE Group.Leader Terry O. Muhammad said the acronym stands for "Creating Universal Righteous Establishments." Naming a long list of backers, he asked the council to help the group launch a community center that would feature everything from etiquette lessons to substance abuse counseling.
"We would like to have a bowling alley," Muhammad said, and also asked for music studios and office space.
He envisioned a center surrounded by businesses where young people could be employed and free themselves from an environment of crime and violence.
"I hope the council would hear our plea," he said. "Our children are dying today."
Rev. Paul Dean, organizer of the East Second Street Revitalization group, questioned why it was taking so long for city officials to commit $1.2 million in Urban Enterprise Zone funds to a streetscape program that was announced in 2010. The group had asked last week for a resolution to be on Monday's agenda to convey the funds, but as was explained last week, the state UEZ funds that were turned back to the city are still being reconciled.
At the end of the meeting, Mayor Adrian O. Mapp pointed out some practicalities involved in meeting the groups' desires. Muhammad had asked about having his center in the Armory, but Mapp said it did not belong to the city. The HOPES Headstart program purchased the building from the state in 2012.
Mapp said the city has two "community centers" in Emerson and Washington schools that were built with community use in mind.
On the UEZ funding, Mapp said, "We don't know how much money we have," citing "mismanagement over the years." Mapp took office on Jan. 1, but as a councilman he had asked in 2012 for an accounting of funds and projects from the previous administration. His finance director, Ron West, is still sorting it out.
Mapp said the city only owns one building in the East Second Street Neighborhood Commercial District, and it is not the former market that Dean's group wants to acquire. He said the district really needs to have an "in need of redevelopment" study that is a first step in attracting developers.
"The city is not in the business of putting up buildings," he said.
Mapp said he will ask City Clerk Abubakar Jalloh to look up any legislation related to a billboard that Dean's group wants removed.
Among other items, Mapp said in a ride around the city he noticed how dark it is, and his administration will reach out to PSE&G to determine costs for more lights. He also announced a "shadow mentoring program" in which young people will be matched with city officials to learn more about how government works. He will also have a youth "mayor for a day" each month, he said.
Having come in for some gibes from council members Monday and at other recent meetings, Mapp said, "Stop tearing me down - let's work together."
--Bernice
Monday, September 8, 2014
Plainfield's Day of Remembrance
On Thursday the city will hold a September 11 Day of Remembrance at City Hall, starting at 8:30 a.m.
At 8:46 a.m., church bells will ring to mark the time of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.
Here is the complete program for the remembrance.
See the history here.
At 8:46 a.m., church bells will ring to mark the time of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.
Here is the complete program for the remembrance.
See the history here.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Senior Center Cost Dispute to be Arbitrated
The city's longstanding dispute with a developer over senior center build-out costs and condo fees may be settled through arbitration, according to a resolution up for passage at Monday's council meeting.
The meeting is 8 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.
Corporation Counsel Vernita Sias-Hill has recommended the action and the resolution will authorize her office to proceed to arbitration.
The issue dates back to 2010, when the city received a bill for nearly $300,000 from Dornoch, the developer that built a new senior center and veterans' center with three floors of condos above. The deal had been touted as costing the city nothing, but in fact both centers have condo status, meaning they must share in common expenses for the building.
The developer had also fitted out the senior center to the liking of members and wanted the city to pay for the work and furnishings. Dornoch claimed the center's condo fee was $2,750 per month starting from November 2009. The veterans' center has yet to be occupied, but was also going to be assessed a monthly fee once the city took ownership. Part of the dispute centered on how the monthly fee was calculated
The condo deal was first announced in 2006. It became a campaign promise of then-Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs when she sought a second term on 2009. She held an event there just before the June 2009 primary, but the center did not open until late in 2009. The residential condos were slow to sell, and the development, dubbed "The Monarch," began accepting rentals some time after the City Council denied a proposed tax abatement.
Click on links above to see past posts
--Bernice
The meeting is 8 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.
Corporation Counsel Vernita Sias-Hill has recommended the action and the resolution will authorize her office to proceed to arbitration.
The issue dates back to 2010, when the city received a bill for nearly $300,000 from Dornoch, the developer that built a new senior center and veterans' center with three floors of condos above. The deal had been touted as costing the city nothing, but in fact both centers have condo status, meaning they must share in common expenses for the building.
The developer had also fitted out the senior center to the liking of members and wanted the city to pay for the work and furnishings. Dornoch claimed the center's condo fee was $2,750 per month starting from November 2009. The veterans' center has yet to be occupied, but was also going to be assessed a monthly fee once the city took ownership. Part of the dispute centered on how the monthly fee was calculated
The condo deal was first announced in 2006. It became a campaign promise of then-Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs when she sought a second term on 2009. She held an event there just before the June 2009 primary, but the center did not open until late in 2009. The residential condos were slow to sell, and the development, dubbed "The Monarch," began accepting rentals some time after the City Council denied a proposed tax abatement.
Click on links above to see past posts
--Bernice
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Good News for East Second Neighborhood
A Zoning Board decision Wednesday means a repair shop owner can finally get a certificate of occupancy and also that the place will be improved to meet current standards.
"Maybe you can sparkle the neighborhood," Zoning Board Chairman D. Scott Belin told applicant William Myers.
The Garfield Avenue shop is in the East Second Street Neighborhood Commercial District that residents and merchants say is in dire need of rehabilitation and renewal. A large group implored the City Council Monday to release Urban Enterprise Zone funds to finance streetscape improvements.. While the UEZ funding is a separate matter, sprucing up the repair shop advances the group's overall goals for the neighborhood.
Planning Director Bill Nierstedt said the site at 201 Garfield Avenue was a gas station in 1939, but never received a certificate of occupancy. Myers was applying for a "certificate of nonconformity" with the current zoning in order to be able to obtain the C.O. He said the site was no longer a gas station, but an automobile repair business.
Myers presented documents showing that the Zoning Board permitted the use in 1965 and the shop passed random safety checks by the Police and Fire divisions. The business was formerly called "Junior's Garage," he said, and Junior Simmons was still living there.
Board Attorney Peter A. Vignuolo said Myers had to prove that the use was allowed before a zoning change in 2002 to a Neighborhood Commercial zone. Myers had documents from 1997 to show the use was permitted.
The property will now be subject to improvements such as the planting of trees and shrubs and striping of the lot. Nierstedt told the board he will work with Myers to bring the site "up to today's standards."
--Bernice
"Maybe you can sparkle the neighborhood," Zoning Board Chairman D. Scott Belin told applicant William Myers.
The Garfield Avenue shop is in the East Second Street Neighborhood Commercial District that residents and merchants say is in dire need of rehabilitation and renewal. A large group implored the City Council Monday to release Urban Enterprise Zone funds to finance streetscape improvements.. While the UEZ funding is a separate matter, sprucing up the repair shop advances the group's overall goals for the neighborhood.
Planning Director Bill Nierstedt said the site at 201 Garfield Avenue was a gas station in 1939, but never received a certificate of occupancy. Myers was applying for a "certificate of nonconformity" with the current zoning in order to be able to obtain the C.O. He said the site was no longer a gas station, but an automobile repair business.
Myers presented documents showing that the Zoning Board permitted the use in 1965 and the shop passed random safety checks by the Police and Fire divisions. The business was formerly called "Junior's Garage," he said, and Junior Simmons was still living there.
Board Attorney Peter A. Vignuolo said Myers had to prove that the use was allowed before a zoning change in 2002 to a Neighborhood Commercial zone. Myers had documents from 1997 to show the use was permitted.
The property will now be subject to improvements such as the planting of trees and shrubs and striping of the lot. Nierstedt told the board he will work with Myers to bring the site "up to today's standards."
--Bernice
Friday, September 5, 2014
Planners Mull Study, Next Steps Unclear
A city-sponsored study of the 17-acre Muhlenberg site drew a cautious acceptance from the Planning Board Thursday as members voiced reservations about the next steps.
Formerly dominated by Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, the site has had only a satellite emergency department for medical treatment since the hospital closed in 2008.
The City Council approved hiring Heyer, Gruel & Associates of Red Bank in October 2013 at a cost not to exceed $48,000. The firm held three community meetings in early 2014 for input from residents, who overwhelmingly insisted on a medical use for the campus, with no residential development. The study results included 100 units of veterans' housing and 36 apartments, a far cry from the 600 apartments proposed by JFK Health System for the site, but still rejected by the public.
Chairman Ron Scott-Bey led off by saying the study was commissioned by the administration and the Planning Board had nothing to do with it.
"I understand there is a final plan somewhere," he said, noting no additions to what was handed out Thursday.
Deputy City Administrator for Economic Development Carlos Sanchez said there was a minor change, deletion of health-related veterans' housing due to community concerns at an Aug. 14 meeting.
"I look at this and see zoning and code changes, not development," Scott-Bey said.
But board member Gordon Fuller pointed out a developer could come in and ask for variances "and we'll be back where we started."
"We are kind of operating blindly," board member Horace Baldwin said. "I really don't feel we're in a position to effectively assess what's being proposed."
The study results are posted on the city web site. There is a recommendation for a "healthcare campus zone" and a page with next steps was up briefly, but has since disappeared.
Black and white copies handed out Thursday were barely legible, but audience members familiar with the results offered comments.
"Why is this discussion even taking place?" resident Robin Bright said, noting the city does not own the site and should figure out how to acquire it if city officials want to make a plan.
Bright asked what the current zoning is, and Planning Director Bill Nierstedt said it was a professional office zone, which permits single- and two-family dwellings, mixed-use dwellings, apartments, medical offices, hospital and child-care centers.
Dr. Harold Yood said he agreed with Scott-Bey, calling it "premature even to discuss this."
Nancy Piwowar cited historic aspects of the Muhlenberg campus that she felt were going to bring attention to Plainfield, and also repeated the advice she gave at the Aug. 14 meeting, to make sure a title search of the property is done.
Dottie Gutenkauf told the board it was "very clear" that they were in a very preliminary situation, but she said there is a "distinct community sense of what Plainfield needs and what Plainfield does not need." She urged Sanchez to "find somebody who wants to revive a hospital."
--Bernice
Formerly dominated by Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, the site has had only a satellite emergency department for medical treatment since the hospital closed in 2008.
The City Council approved hiring Heyer, Gruel & Associates of Red Bank in October 2013 at a cost not to exceed $48,000. The firm held three community meetings in early 2014 for input from residents, who overwhelmingly insisted on a medical use for the campus, with no residential development. The study results included 100 units of veterans' housing and 36 apartments, a far cry from the 600 apartments proposed by JFK Health System for the site, but still rejected by the public.
"I understand there is a final plan somewhere," he said, noting no additions to what was handed out Thursday.
Deputy City Administrator for Economic Development Carlos Sanchez said there was a minor change, deletion of health-related veterans' housing due to community concerns at an Aug. 14 meeting.
"I look at this and see zoning and code changes, not development," Scott-Bey said.
But board member Gordon Fuller pointed out a developer could come in and ask for variances "and we'll be back where we started."
"We are kind of operating blindly," board member Horace Baldwin said. "I really don't feel we're in a position to effectively assess what's being proposed."
The study results are posted on the city web site. There is a recommendation for a "healthcare campus zone" and a page with next steps was up briefly, but has since disappeared.
Black and white copies handed out Thursday were barely legible, but audience members familiar with the results offered comments.
"Why is this discussion even taking place?" resident Robin Bright said, noting the city does not own the site and should figure out how to acquire it if city officials want to make a plan.
Bright asked what the current zoning is, and Planning Director Bill Nierstedt said it was a professional office zone, which permits single- and two-family dwellings, mixed-use dwellings, apartments, medical offices, hospital and child-care centers.
Dr. Harold Yood said he agreed with Scott-Bey, calling it "premature even to discuss this."
Nancy Piwowar cited historic aspects of the Muhlenberg campus that she felt were going to bring attention to Plainfield, and also repeated the advice she gave at the Aug. 14 meeting, to make sure a title search of the property is done.
Dottie Gutenkauf told the board it was "very clear" that they were in a very preliminary situation, but she said there is a "distinct community sense of what Plainfield needs and what Plainfield does not need." She urged Sanchez to "find somebody who wants to revive a hospital."
--Bernice
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